Nadda, Yadav lead race to replace Shah as BJP chief

New Delhi: With BJP president Amit Shah being accommodated in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers on Thursday, speculation is rife that either J.P. Nadda or Bhupendra Yadav, both Rajya Sabha members, could be the next party chief. While Mr Nadda, 59, was holding the health portfolio in the previous Modi government, Mr Yadav, 49, is national general secretary in Mr Shah’s team.

Unlike many senior BJP leaders who made it again to Team Modi, Mr Nadda’s absence gave rise to speculation that he could succeed Mr Shah.

Mr Yadav is the BJP’s state-incharge of Bihar and Gujarat, the two states where the party performed very well in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls, and is considered close to both Mr Shah and Mr Modi. He is also an eminent lawyer.

Mr Nadda is the BJP’s parliamentary board secretary. He was given the charge of UP elections during the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, where with the BJP bagged 62 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats. A three-time MLA in the Himachal Pradesh’s Assembly, Mr Nadda made it to the Upper House after he was inducted in Mr Modi’s first government in 2014.